Catamaran boats are well known in the prior art. These boats generally have high performance and stability. However, difficulties are encountered in transporting and storing the boat. This has led to designs for "knock-down" catamaran boats such as disclosed in U.S. Letters Pat. No. 2,712,293 issued to O'Higgins. Others have included inflatable pontoons in knock-down designs, as disclosed in U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 4,316,414 issued to Popkin and U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 4,284,024 and 4,348,971 issued to Montgomery. U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 3,846,858 and 3,930,274 issued to Syfritt disclose a boat with a pair of units, each consisting of a plurality (preferably three) parallel, laterally spaced support members connected at each end and intermediately by transverse support members. These members define a triangular cage structure in which an inflatable container is supported. The following patents are further illustrative of the prior art:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ______________________________________ 2,745,118 Potts et al. 3,473,502 Wittkamp 3,608,112 Irgens 3,656,445 Padwick 3,839,979 Wassel 4,082,049 Nicol 4,543,898 Castilla 4,582,012 Montgomery 4,653,417 White ______________________________________
The knock-down catamaran boats of the prior art have one or more of the following problems: (1) not sufficiently reliable or rugged; (2) complex and difficult to assemble; (3) the components are bulky, heavy and inconvenient to transport; (4) relatively expensive; (5) overly simplified and unappealing to the sophisticated sailor; and (6) principally directed towards a sailing vessel and have not included other means for propulsion.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an easily assembled "knock-down" catamaran boat which is relatively inexpensive, compact, rugged, and includes features normally found on more sophisticated and costly vessels.